Aèropostale
by Ryouko Akizakura
Summary: Writing a love letter to Sasuke Uchiha for a grade sounded like a bad idea at first. But after Sakura Haruno finds herself reaching out to him, she quickly changes her mind. But for better? Or worse? SasuSaku. Read and review. I do not own Naruto.


Hey guys! ^^ This is a long oneshot, if I know what that means. I worked really hard on it, and I threw in some twists, if I know what that means too. ^^ The grammar lesson in the middle is a little bit sloppy, but, if you don't understand it, just skip it. I threw that in there for the plot. Kakashi-sensei is NOT in character...Or maybe he is, I don't know. Anyway, I do not own Naruto. I also do not own the song "Sexy Bitch". THERE IS SWEARING! Enjoy! ^^

* * *

"Air mail? Really Sakura?" Ino asked, as the teacher in the front of the classroom started writing on the board. Something about a test coming up, as well as writing a letter to someone important to you. I rolled my eyes at Ino, and opened my notebook, the pink paper smelling of cherry blossoms. She rested her cheek on her right hand, and snorted.

"What is Ms. Haruka thinking? Giving us a test, then springing a huge assignment on us like this? Seriously, you'd think she's some slave driver rather than an English teacher." Ino complained, writing down the assignment in her English notebook in her hideous scrawl of script. I sighed dreamily.

"Maybe she wants the girls to take a hint and tell their crushes how they feel." I suggested. Ino turned to me, lifting up one finger.

"Not likely. If I know one thing about teachers, it's that they're brainwashed. And I'm not saying take over the world type of brainwash. I'm talking about the make us students kill their minds because of some lame assignment about feelings and emotions. If this has anything to do with the book we're reading, I'm going to scream." She crossed her arms over her chest, and huffed. I laughed, and started writing down the assignment into my notebook, taking my time to draw the letters. Ino watched me put swirls in my letters, making them look elegant and beautiful compared to her clumsy print. She narrowed her eyes.

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" She asked, giving me a knowing look. I nodded once.

"I guess. He smiled at me this morning. Can't really tell if he likes me or not though." I replied, finishing the last word of the directions. I shut my notebook, and set my pencil down. Ms. Haruka turned back to the class.

"Alright everyone. This letter assignment is the last grade that has to do with the book we're reading, "Dear John". We'll be watching the movie sometime this week, so, this project is due in four days. I expect you to have read the rest of the book by then, and to have your letters written, and ready for class in four days, so that way we can share them before watching the movie." She instructed. The class broke out in a dull roar, talking amongst themselves, the boys on the right side of the room laughing quietly. Ino snarled in anger.

"She's lucky I'm not screaming right now, Sakura." Ino snorted. I laughed again, picking my pink and gray tote up off the ground, sliding my books into it.

"Take it easy Ino. It's not like writing a letter is going to kill you." I replied, standing up and smoothing my pink and white plaid pleated skirt down. Ms. Haruka called for attention again.

"Hinata has given me a great idea. She asked if we can write our letters to someone special, like a crush. Since all of you girls are wearing on my patience, you have to write to your crushes. Boys, you can write to each other, as a class joke!" She cheered, throwing her fist in the air. Ino and I grimaced.

"You know, I'm starting to agree with you about the brainwash thing." I muttered. Ino nodded once.

"Maybe she's on some kind of drug or something. No teacher would ever think of something like this." Ino replied. I rolled my eyes.

"I know someone who would. And trust me, he'd do much worse." I answered quietly. Ino blinked.

"You mean?" She started. I face palmed as Ms. Haruka opened up a copy of Make-Out Tactics.

"Yep, you know who I'm talking about." I replied. Ms. Haruka cheered again.

"Make-Out Tactics says that if you want to tell your crush how you feel, write it in a letter. Boys LOVE when you write them emotional letters about how you feel. In fact, they think it's sexy." Ms. Haruka quoted. Ino and I's mouths dropped.

"He did not! That was not in the book when I read it yesterday! Kakashi-sensei, I'm going to kick your butt next time I see you…" I growled, taking a few steps down the stairs toward the front of the room. Ino grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

"Calm down Sakura. You don't want to hurt the teacher now, do you?" She asked, her lip curling up. I bared my teeth at her in an angry scowl.

"That pervert…" I snarled. I could almost imagine his satisfied face taunting me in my mind. I shook my right hand out. Ino laughed.

"You finally realize this?" She burst out, her sky blue eyes bright. I gritted my teeth.

"You're crazy." I replied, and turned away, crossing my arms over my chest, snorting out of my nose. She laughed again, and picked up her bag, and pushed me toward the door as the bell rang.

"Class is over, Sakura. Time to go home!" She cheered, jumping up into the air as we passed Hinata. Hinata smiled, and came up behind us, Tenten following her. We walked out the door, and spread out into a line across the width of the hallway, several feet away from the right wall. I smoothed my white sleeveless button up shirt and pink-white plaid tie, while Tenten drooled over Rock Lee. Ino, Hinata and I rolled our eyes.

"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?" Hinata asked her, a slight grin on her face. Tenten nodded, hearts in her eyes.

"Hell yeah, I'm going to enjoy it. I've been in love with him for six weeks now." She replied. Ino laughed, and I smiled.

"I'm writing to Sai. I just LOVE his soft smile. It's gorgeous. And makes my heart go, damn boy, you're a hot one aren't you?" She replied, bobbing her head while pointing her finger at the air. We laughed. Hinata stepped up.

"I'm writing to Naruto." She offered, her voice soft and quiet. Tenten and Ino cooed. I giggled into my palm.

"Who're you writing to, Sakura?" Tenten asked. I felt my face flush. Ino yawned.

"She's writing to Sasuke. Because she's in love with him." Ino replied for me dryly, covering her mouth with her hand. I whirled on her, blowing steam from my nose.

"No, it's not because I'm in love with him." I retorted through gritted teeth, my voice a low snarl. Ino, Tenten and Hinata laughed. I hung my head, taking the easy way out. We walked out the front doors, to the huge, sprawling courtyard. Tenten caught sight of Lee, and waved.

"Hey Lee! Do we have training today?" She called, and ran toward him. Ino, Hinata and I stopped at the top of the front steps, and scanned the front lawn of the school. Ino crossed her arms over her chest, and Hinata held her hands under her chin, while I tucked a piece of my pink hair behind my left ear, holding the lock behind it. The wind blew, ruffling our different colored skirts and ties, our hair blowing over our shoulders as we watched Tenten chase Lee across the thinning courtyard. We watched the wind dance through the trees, until Tenten tackled Lee, and the two of them crashed to the ground, causing us to run over to her and Lee, kneeling down.

"Tenten, Lee. Are you two alright?" Hinata asked, helping Lee slide out from under Tenten. Ino helped him stand up, and I brushed the pieces of grass off of Tenten's back.

"Yeah. We're fine." They replied simultaneously. They looked at each other, and blushed, turning away. Ino, Hinata and I rolled our eyes. We heard footsteps behind us.

"Lee, I never knew you were that clumsy." Naruto sighed, walking over to him. Hinata tensed up, and took a step back. I turned my head to the left and back, silently telling her to be brave. She nodded once, and slid over to stand beside me.

"Wow, Sakura. Nice ass." A voice behind me pointed out, and I flushed red as a tomato.

"Then again, your face is pretty ugly, so I guess it isn't all that nice looking." The voice chided, sounding satisfied with themselves. I turned toward them slowly, seeing Sai smiling like nothing even happened. I balled my right hand up.

"What was that, you disgusting male pervert?" I asked calmly, my anger barely restrained. Sai blinked his eyes.

"I just complimented your butt. What's wrong with that?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"As clueless as ever I see. Idiot…" I muttered, then turned back around. Everyone busted out laughing, and I blew steam from my nose again. Ino walked over to Sai and threw her arms around him.

"Sai, what do you think of my face?" She asked, blinking her sky blue eyes innocently. _You would Ino, you would. _Sai smiled again.

"I think it's gorgeous." He replied. I rolled my eyes. _Figures. _I heard footsteps behind me.

"He's got a point. Your ass is pretty nice looking. As for your face, well…I have to disagree." Another voice pointed out. I turned around, black eyes, and a smug smile all that I could see in my line of vision.

"Thank you Sasuke. That means a lot coming from you." I replied, trying not to blush. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I don't know where you get your taste in men, Sakura, but it sucks." He muttered. I whirled around.

"I'm sorry, did you just say something?" I asked, my green eyes bright with fresh anger. Naruto blinked his eyes innocently.

"I'm-I'm sorry could you repeat the question?" He stammered, flinching away from my angry scowl. I nodded once.

"That's better." I praised, turning back to Sasuke. He looked over to the left, and smiled.

"Tenten sure is persistent, isn't she?" He asked, as I turned my head, watching her chase Lee again, crashing into other students. I laughed.

"Yeah, but you got to admire her for it though. At least she's honest about how she feels, and doesn't hide it like the rest of us." Ino answered, hugging Sai tighter. Naruto laughed.

"I've got to say, I'm pretty impressed by her bravery. I've never seen a girl quite like her." He put in, Hinata flinching slightly. I nudged her with my right hand gently.

"It's okay. Just relax." I murmured only for her to hear. I heard her hair part as she nodded. Sasuke seemed to catch this little exchange between Hinata and I, and blinked his eyes impatiently.

"Sakura, you do know we have training today, right?" He asked, watching my jawbone. I nodded.

"Yes, I know. Naruto, c'mon. We have to go-" I started. I heard the sound of something like feet touching a flat surface like they do we you land on the ground from above me, and I looked up. Silver hair and a familiar Leaf village shinobi uniform revealed the identity of Kakashi Hatake, my favorite teacher, as well as the village's biggest Make-Out Tactics fan. I lifted my finger to my forehead, shaking my head.

"Sakura, did Sai just tell you that you have a nice ass?" He asked, widening his uncovered eye. I nodded sadly.

"Yep, you don't miss anything, do you?" I asked dryly, looking up at him. He nodded, lifting two fingers to his forehead, smiling.

"I try not to." He replied, jumping down from the tree branch he was crouched on. Everyone watched in silence as he landed on the ground, bending his legs, and standing up straight. I felt Sasuke grab my elbows protectively, apparently preparing to shove me behind him if Kakashi-sensei stepped out of line, like he always does. Hinata stepped closer to Naruto, who looked at her, obviously still clueless. Kakashi-sensei smiled and lifted a hand.

"Hey guys. How was school? Did Ms. Haruka get the book I sent her?" He asked innocently. I balled my right hand up, and gritted my teeth.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact she did. And not to mention that she gave us an assignment that you wrote into the book, trying to make it look like an edited piece of writing that Master Jiriaya forgot to add." I replied through clenched teeth. Kakashi-sensei jabbed his elbow backwards.

"Yes!" He cheered quietly. Sasuke's hands tensed on my elbows, unsure of what Kakashi-sensei was going to do next. Ino let go of Sai, and walked over to stand beside me.

"Really, what were you thinking, Sensei? Now we have to write a letter to our crushes, and we have to read the rest of the book Dear John, all in four days, plus we have a test tomorrow! What the HELL were you trying to pull?" Ino screeched into his face, and Kakashi-sensei fell backwards as she leaned over him, her eyes furious. I laughed.

"Um, Sasuke? Naruto? Could you guys help me?" He asked, glancing from Sasuke to Naruto, both of them shaking their heads as they laughed. His uncovered eye stopped on me, and I curled my lip up, my eyes glowing devilishly.

"C'mon Sakura, it was only a joke. Please help me." He pleaded. I shook my head.

"Do you honestly think I'll believe that? It's something you would do, and full damn well know that. Don't ask me for my forgiveness for the next four days." I turned away, crossing my arms over my chest, blowing steam out of my nose again. Kakashi-sensei stood up.

"Well, then I guess we'll have training today after all. I came to say that we didn't have training today, but, since you want to play that game, I guess we do have training." He muttered quietly, and I turned around, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, I accept your apology! It's all good!" I exclaimed. He smirked, as he pulled out a book.

"That's better." He replied, and took a few steps away. I nodded.

"So, what about Guy-sensei's team? Do they have training?" I asked. Kakashi-sensei flipped through pages, until he finally stopped on one. His eye darted from side to side, and apparently he must have found something to be hilarious, because he started laughing hysterically. Everyone face-palmed.

"You can't count on this guy for anything…" Sasuke muttered, closing his eyes as he dragged his hand down his face. I nodded sadly.

"I have to agree with that." I replied, staring at Kakashi-sensei who was thrashing on the ground in a fit of laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I can't believe he threw chicken dumplings down that hot girl's shirt! HAHAHAHA! And then he walked over and pulled them out of her bra, then started eating them! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kakashi-sensei laughed, banging his fists on the ground, then rolling over onto his back while kicking his legs. _What a big kid. _

"Sometimes I wonder how the human race survives with guys like him in it." Naruto mused. Hinata nodded.

"I know right? Kurenai-sensei often says that Kakashi-sensei likes to dust off his books every now and then, while he's cleaning his house in a maid outfit." She replied. I could almost imagine Kakashi-sensei in a dress with black white flowers all over it.

"Kakashi-sensei in a female outfit…Too creepy for words…" I pointed out, as he started clutching his stomach. Sasuke shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"Not a very pleasant image." He replied, turning around, and walking away. I nodded, and turned away, following him. The others eventually turned and followed, leaving Kakashi-sensei to laugh his stomach off, alone. I picked up the pace, walking alongside Sasuke.

"So, uh, who're you writing your letter to?" I asked shyly. Sasuke thought for a second.

"I'm not sure. I might write it to Naruto, just for laughs. It'd be hilarious." He replied, putting his hands into his pockets. I looked down at my right hand, and nodded.

"Yeah, sure it would." I answered quietly. He sighed slightly.

"Who're you writing yours to? Ms. Haruka said you had to write yours to your crush." He asked, turning toward me. I didn't look over at him.

"I'm not sure he'd care about what I had to say. To tell you the truth, I'm even sure he actually likes me. Sure, we're in the same squ-class together and all, but, I'm still unsure. He smiles at me a lot, but what does a smile really tell you? Maybe he thinks I look like a lovesick puppy or a drowned rat. Boys are so hard to read." I replied, correcting myself. Sasuke's mouth opened slightly, and his eyes seemed to soften.

"You're unsure of yourself, aren't you?" He asked, his voice gentle. I nodded once.

"Yeah. Sai calls me ugly, and Ino thinks that it's hilarious. I guess liking this one guy has its ups and downs. I just feel like I'm not pretty enough for him." I replied, hanging my head. Sasuke looked back at the road.

"Sounds like this guy isn't very nice to you, huh?" He answered. I closed my eyes. _Take a hint, will ya? _

"It isn't that he isn't nice to me. He just doesn't pay any attention to how I feel, that's all. I don't blame him, actually." I muttered quietly, lifting my head up. Sasuke closed his eyes slightly, and looked down.

"If I am that person you're talking about, then, I'm sorry." He murmured. I widened my eyes and flinched in shock.

"No, no! You aren't who I'm talking about. It's someone else in our English class. Don't worry about it." I exclaimed, lifting up my palms for emphasis. He smiled his smug smile and closed his eyes.

"Yeah, okay. I'll believe that when you don't give me that letter." He replied, laughing slightly. I narrowed my eyes, and backhanded him across the face.

"Oh shut up Sasuke! You'll be lucky if I actually heal your wounds the next time we train if you keep this up." I scolded. He grabbed at his cheek, which was red.

"Hey! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing it. I pursed my lips.

"For being a jerk." I replied innocently. He scowled at me.

"Way to be mature." He muttered, and I smiled, lifting two of my fingers to my forehead, and spreading my feet.

"I'm here all week." I replied, smiling. Sasuke laughed once.

"Of course you are. You live here." He replied, putting his hands back into his pockets. I jumped after him.

"Way to point out the obvious, party pooper." I growled. He laughed, and gave me a bright smile.

"Yeah, that's who I am." He replied, laughing. I playfully shoved him, and giggled into my palm when he staggered into a bush.

"That's for being conceited." I got out before he could open his mouth. He stood up, and stopped, turning around to look behind us.

"We should wait for the others. Since its tradition to go out for ramen after school on a Thursday." He murmured, flattening his right hand on his hip. I nodded, tucking a stubborn piece of hair behind my ear.

"Since when?" I asked, turning to him. He shrugged.

"I just started it." He replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Then it isn't really a tradition." I replied. He turned to me, one of his eyes narrowing.

"I know that. I'm not stupid." He retorted. I giggled into my palm. Ino, Sai, Naruto, Hinata, Lee, and Tenten ran up to us, slowing to a stop in front of Sasuke.

"You should have seen Lee and Tenten making out behind the tree. It was sooo disgusting." Ino complained, Sai stepping up next to her. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'd never kiss a girl like that. I mean, that's just gross." He jabbed at Lee. Lee blushed and Tenten grabbed his hand, pulling him behind a tree. Ino wrapped her arms around Sai, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey!" Sai exclaimed, and Ino jumped back, hurt in her eyes.

"What exactly is a "Kiss"? The book says it is a pleasure that comes before something called..Um…" Sai asked. Sasuke face palmed.

"A kiss is a physical action in which you share with someone you care about." Hinata explained. Naruto nodded.

"That's what Mrs. Sakamoto says everyday she catches Tenten and Lee kissing in the back of the room." Naruto pointed out. I laughed.

"And don't forget Ms. Haruka's obsession with Kakashi-sensei. She literally uses him in every example that she writes on the board. It's sad." I explained. Sasuke laughed.

"Yeah. I remember one time she asked Sakura if she could see if Kakashi-sensei liked her since she was wearing this new perfume that she bought off of some red head who came through the village that day." He laughed. Ino giggled into her palm.

"What about the time she went up to Naruto and shook her butt in his face? Sakura and I were dying on the floor from intense laughter." She added. I nodded.

"That WAS hilarious." I replied. Sasuke nodded.

"Is anyone hungry for ramen? Girls, it's the guys treat." He asked. I nodded, Ino and Hinata smiling. Tenten and Lee ran out from behind the tree at the sound of the word ramen, and stood in front of us.

"We want some too." Tenten said for them both, hugging Lee's arm tightly. Sasuke pulled out his wallet, and looked through dollars.

"I have enough to pay for me and Sakura, but I can't pay for another person. Sai, will you take care of Ino, and Naruto, you pay for Hinata. Lee, you know who you're going to deal with." Sasuke instructed, grabbing my hand and turning away. We all started walking to the ramen shop, the wind blowing leaves up off of the sidewalk, the edges of the stems brushing my legs. About five minutes later, we all stopped in front of Naruto's favorite ramen shop, and we walked inside, the owner smiling brightly.

"Hey there guys! There's an empty table in the corner that will fit you all. I'll get started on your orders." He smiled, pointing us to the table. Sasuke lifted his hand.

"Thank you." He waved it, and led me over to the table, letting me slide in first. He came next, Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, Lee, Sai, and finally Ino.

"It's been a long time since I've been here." I murmured. Sasuke nodded.

"It's been a while, sure." He agreed, lifting up his English textbook and a notebook. I widened my eyes.

"Guys! We have English homework!" I cried, and pulled my English stuff out. Everyone else grabbed their homework from various subjects, and we all quieted down, answering homework questions as well as eating our ramen when it came. I was working on adjective phrases, a topic in English which I both feared, and loved at the same time.

"Hmm, "There are many types of fish in the sea". "Many types" modifies "There are". "Of fish" modifies "types", and "In the sea" modifies "fish". I'm assuming that's the only three in that sentence, so…" I muttered to myself, writing the answers down in my notebook. Sasuke looked over at me.

"How exactly do you know this stuff? We have a test on it tomorrow, and I can't even figure out what a freaking adjective is." He asked, rubbing his temples. I smiled, and reached over, grabbing his notebook.

"Let's see. An adjective phrase modifies a noun or pronoun. So for this sentence…" My voice trailed off as I grabbed his pencil from his hand, and erased his question marks in the space where his answer should have been.

"So for "There are many types of fish in the sea", the phrase "many types" modifies "there are." "Of fish" modifies the word "types". Another one in that sentence would be "in the sea", which modifies the word "fish". It isn't that hard. You just have to look at what describes what. Usually, if you have a noun or pronoun, the adjective phrase can be found right next to it. All you really have to know is what an adjective is, and what a noun is. Then you should be alright." I explained, writing in the correct answer for him. Sasuke looked from the textbook, to me.

"So, for this sentence here, " The stars glow brightly", "glow brightly" modifies "the stars"? Right?" He asked, looking over at me. I nodded.

"You have it right. "Glow brightly" modifies "the stars"." I answered. He smiled.

"Thanks Sakura." He dipped his head, then went back to doing his homework, taking a bite of his ramen between questions. I turned back to my own homework, and got started, finishing in about twenty minutes. Everyone had moved on to a different subject, Naruto and Ino struggled with Math, often yelling at each other for not helping the other. Lee and Hinata discussed History, Sai and Tenten drawing pictures for Art. Sasuke and I worked on Physics, which I had to help him with.

"That shuriken's inertia would prevent it from moving if you hit it with a blade of grass." I told him gently, as he wrote the incorrect answer in the space. Sasuke rolled his eyes and exhaled, erasing it. I took his pencil, and helped him with his homework, while writing the answers into my notebook as I was writing them in his. Sasuke caught on quickly, and corrected some of my mistakes. Everyone else started in on their Physics, and we all discussed it as a group, as the owner of the store brought us more ramen. At eight o'clock, everyone's homework was done, the ramen was eaten, and we were just standing at the counter to pay for it. Sasuke and the boys pulled out dollar bills, and paid for the food, and waved goodbye. We all headed out of the shop, walking toward the living area, the stars shining down on all of us.

"That was a good day." Hinata pointed out, as she swayed back and forth, full from all the ramen she had just eaten. I nodded.

"Yeah, just think about it. Doing this every Thursday would never get old." Ino replied. Sasuke snorted.

"Sure if you have the money to pay for it." He added. I laughed.

"You're the one who suggested it." I pointed out. Sasuke turned his head to me, his eyes angry.

"Hey, I never would've suggested it if I'd of known how much it would've depleted my bank account by." He replied. I giggled into my palm.

"You were just trying to be a gentleman. That's all." I replied, smiling slightly. He nodded.

"Hey guys, about that letter!" Tenten started, and we all turned to her, listening. We all started talking about the letter assignment, as we dropped everyone off at their houses. Ino, Sai, Sasuke and I were the only ones left after ten minutes, and we stopped at the streetlights. I stood across from Sasuke, and nodded.

"I'll see you later, Ino, Sai. Sasuke." I nodded to him. They nodded back, and we all went our separate ways. I walked up the street a little bit, then grabbed my door knob, turning it gently. I opened the door, and slid my bag off of my shoulder while closing the door behind me.

"I'm home!" I called, taking off my shoes. My mother came in from the living room.

"Hey Sakura. Did you have a good day at school?" She asked. I nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, English class was hilarious. Ms. Haruka gave us an assignment that she got out of Kakashi-sensei's favorite book called Make-Out Tactics. I was fuming. Then after school we saw Kakashi-sensei. Ino yelled at him, and right when I start to, he pulls the training card on me. I was so mad. Then he started reading another book in the Make-Out Tactics series, and nearly died on the ground from laughing." I giggled, sitting down at the dining room table. Mother started cleaning the dishes.

"Did you eat already?" She asked, gesturing to the stove. I nodded.

"Yeah, Sasuke and the boys from English treated the girls to ramen at Naruto's favorite shop." I replied, crossing my arms on the tabletop in front of me. Mother smiled, and giggled.

"THE Sasuke?" She asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, the Sasuke." I replied. She smiled and jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

"That was so sweet of him!" She gushed, dripping water all over the place. I laughed, and pulled out my notebook. _Time to get started on that letter assignment…_I flipped through the pages, looking for an empty one, most of them covered with swirly script with loops and flowers and basically drawings of letters. But one of them had a modest looking bunch of sentences. I lifted the notebook up to my face, smiling as I read the tiny little message Sasuke had left for me: "Thank you for helping me with my English today. You explained it really well, and, to be honest, I don't think I'm going to fail now. I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura. –Sasuke." I smiled, and wiped at my eyes gently, trying not to cry. My mother cooed.

"Aw, he wrote you a love letter." She said sweetly, and blinked her eyes. I shut the notebook quickly.

"No, it was just a thank you letter. That's all. I have to write a letter to someone special to me for English, and I have to get it done in four days. I think I'm going to reply to this message." I replied, smiling while nodding my head. My mother smiled and shook her head. I stood up from the table, grabbing my bag off the floor, and heading upstairs.

"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight mom." I called as I hopped up the stairs. I opened my room door, and stepped into the quiet, open chamber. Curtains blew in the breeze coming from the open window; my bed lay still, undisturbed. I switched on the lights, and crossed the room to my window seat, setting my bag down on it, and heading over to my bathroom to take a shower. Ten minutes later, I hopped out of the blazing shower and got dressed for bed, wringing my short pink hair out, the smell of cherry blossoms flooding into my nose. I brushed my hair, pulling on a camisole and boy shorts, brushing my teeth, and then washing my face. After I finished that, I walked out the door, and headed over to my window seat, sitting down on it, while picking up my notebook out of my bag, twirling the pencil around my finger as I reclined backward. I sat there, the paper blank in front of my knees. I stared at it, until my vision stared to blur. I knew then that it was time for bed. I set my alarm for 5:30, then got under my covers, and the instant my head hit the pillow, I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Wake up Sakura, it's five-thirty. Time for school." My mother shook me, and I got up slowly.

"Time for school already?" I muttered groggily. She nodded, opening the window.

"Yep, I'll have breakfast on the table in five minutes." She said to me as she headed out the door. I got out from under the blankets, and got dressed into my uniform, then picked up my school bag, shoveling my notebook into it. I ran down the stairs after I brushed my hair, and stuffed my training clothes into my school bag. I headed over to the table, and sat down, starting to eat.

"So, are you going to write that letter to Sasuke or not?" My mother asked, drying off the plate, using the same wash cloth that she had last night, I could tell by the brown stains on the front side. I ate my food quickly, then grabbed my bag, and headed out the door.

"I'm off!" I called, and ran out the door, heading down the side walk, my hair blowing out behind me. I saw Ms. Sakamoto walk out of her apartment building, and I dipped my head to her, as I ran past her. I picked up my legs, my open toed sandals helping me out with this, since they were light weight for ninja missions. I breezed past the ramen shop, not slowing down as I saw the courtyard of the school in front of me, my lip curling up as I picked up the pace, the trees flying by me faster than before. I heard people cheering me on, or what sounded like cheers. Or maybe warnings, since a huge crowd of people, my friends, stepped out into my path, and I widened my eyes. I was going much too fast to slow down by normal human means, since, I would slide into the bushes or worse, hit the side of the wall if my feet hit the dirt wrong. The school didn't encourage the use of chakra control or ninja arts, but, it was either I stop running safely, or I ruin the side of the school's luminous paint job with my huge forehead. _I've got to focus my chakra…_I breathed in through my nose deeply, and centered myself, closing my eyes. I willed my chakra to flow down into the soles of my feet, and I felt wind rush down into them, a faint blue circle of energy ringing my feet as I opened my eyes. I saw Sasuke and Ino step out of the way, as I slammed my feet into the ground, crouching down while I slid through the dirt. Earth was shoved upward as I created groves in the ground while I slid to a stop, stepping my right foot out of the trench to catch my balance.

"Did any teachers see that?" I asked as I wrenched my head up, my pink bangs hitting my face. Everyone shook their heads. I exhaled that deep breath, and sighed. Ino high fived me.

"That was impressive. Great job." She praised as our hands met in mid air. I nodded.

"Thanks. I try very hard at my chakra control." I replied, as we all started walking into the school. Sasuke stepped up alongside me, and turned his head toward me.

"You know that the principal's going to get after you for that, right?" He asked quietly, as we walked into Physics together, the others waving goodbye. I nodded, heading down the aisle to my lab chair. I slid onto it, as Sasuke sat on his beside me.

"Yeah, I know. I'm pretty much dead as far as that trench in the ground goes." I replied from the corner of my mouth, and Sasuke blinked his eyes in response. Physics went by like the other two blocks did. In a blur. Lunch was boring. I didn't have anyone that was my friend in my lunch wave, so I sat on a picnic bench by myself. I ended up being called down to the principal's office about ten minutes into lunch, and I got a warning not to destroy the lawn again. I thought I had gotten off the hook too easy, but, I took what I got. I walked out of the lunchroom, toward English, to see Hinata crying in a corner of the hall. I knelt down beside her, picking some tissues out of my bag.

"Hey, what happened?" I asked her handing them to her. She wiped at her eyes and blew her nose.

"Sai called me ugly." She sobbed. I narrowed my eyes, and tightened my right hand into a fist.

"He's going to get it…" I muttered, looking over my shoulder at the mass of kids coming past us, my eyes searching for Sai. Hinata stood up, and shook her head.

"I'm alright now, let's go to English." She said, picking up her bag from the ground. I grabbed mine while nodding.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded, and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She replied, and we turned toward English. As we walked through the door, I heard a familiar voice. Annoyingly familiar. I stiffened.

"Yeah, this part of the series is the best, because the main character goes to the beach, and throws chicken dumplings down some hot girl's shirt, then pulls them out of her bra, and eats them! HAHAHAHA!" The voice of Kakashi-sensei laughed from in front of me. _Don't tell me he's the sub…_Kakashi-sensei turned around, and caught sight of Sasuke, Naruto and I, and smiled.

"Guess what guys?" He asked, walking over to us. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto frowned.

"You're subbing this class? Unfortunately…" I muttered. Kakashi-sensei smiled brighter.

"Yup. And we're reading Make-Out Tactics! With a partner. Boys will be paired with girls, and girls will be paired with boys." He explained. I widened my eyes. Ino slid over to stand beside me.

"You were right when you said he'd do much worse than Ms. Haruka." She whispered in my ear. I nodded.

"Try dealing with this attitude every single day." I replied. Ino and I walked up the stairs to our seats, and plopped down on the benches with defeated looks, as Kakashi-sensei called for attention.

"Okay everyone. I'm Kakashi Hatake, and I'll be Ms. Rima Haruka's substitute for today and for all of next week." He explained, and started taking attendance.

"Sakura Haruno?" He called five minutes later. I waved my hand; while I leaned down to take my notebook out of my bag.

"Here." I replied, losing my balance, and tumbling down the stairs toward the front of the room. I landed on the ground in the front of the class with a huge slam, my head hitting the floor with a giant smack. I closed my eyes as my head throbbed, the room starting to spin out from under me. Sasuke darted over to me, his knee hitting the ground right by my head as Kakashi-sensei walked over.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Sasuke asked, touching my head, checking for knots and bumps. I reached for my leg, and throbbing pain flying up into my chest all the way from my toes as I tried the bring my foot under me.

"Could be better…" I whispered, tensing up against the pain. Kakashi-sensei knelt down beside me.

"Do you think you can heal yourself? Or is it too much pain?" He asked. I lifted my right hand to my leg, but once I stretched it out, a jolt of pain stabbed at my elbow.

"HAAAGGGHHHH!" I cried, shrinking. Sasuke looked over at Kakashi-sensei, and nodded his head to me.

"I'll take her to the nurse, so that way she can heal herself without disrupting the class." He offered, sliding his arms under me. Kakashi-sensei nodded.

"That would be helpful. Thank you. Oh, and Sakura?" Kakashi-sensei asked once Sasuke had me in his arms. I opened my eyes slowly.

"Yeah?" I asked. Kakashi-sensei leaned closer.

"Make sure you come back quickly. I don't want you to miss this chapter of Make-Out Tactics. You could take a few hints from this one." He whispered, and I shook my head.

"You'll never change, will you?" I asked. Kakashi-sensei ruffled my bangs.

"Nope, never have, and never will." He answered, turning back to the class. Sasuke looked down at me.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his eyes soft.

"Yeah, let's go." I replied, as he turned and walked out the door. I heard the jealous whispers of other girls, and I saw Ino smiling down at us, as Sasuke carried me out into the hallway. I sighed as he shut the door, and turned to the right, heading down the empty hall at a slow walk.

"Do you do that a lot?" He asked, looking straight ahead. I shook my head against his shoulder.

"Nope, I just lost my balance." I replied, looking up at him. He smiled his smug smile.

"It was pretty funny. You should have seen the look on Kakashi-sensei's face as you landed on the ground in front of him. It was downright hysterical." Sasuke laughed. I sighed.

"It wasn't funny for me. I'm the one with a massive headache." I retorted, pursing my lips. He smirked.

"Of course." He answered, still smirking. _How could I love this guy…? _He turned left, the sun shining through the uncovered windows onto the freshly waxed floors.

"So, um, about that letter, Sasuke?" I asked, looking up at him. He stopped in the middle of the sunlit hall, looking down at me simply, his black bangs gently resting on my cheeks.

"Yeah?" He replied, blinking once, his face expectant. I blushed, my cheeks turning a slight rose pink.

"I think I know who I'm writing it to." I answered, smiling slightly. He cocked his head slightly.

"And who might that be?" He asked, blinking his eyes five times for emphasis. I giggled.

"You'll find out when we have to give them to the ones we wrote them for." I replied, playfully poking his forehead with my right index finger, smiling. His eyes darted upward to my finger, then he staggered backwards as he head went toward the other end of the hall.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, regaining his balance in a heartbeat. I smiled gently.

"Don't worry. If you fell, I would have healed you." I replied softly, laying my head on his shoulder. He continued, his footsteps slow and measured, almost as if he expected someone to jump out of one of the rooms and attack us when we weren't looking. I felt him turn right, and he reached for something.

"Here we are, the nurse's office. Lady Shizune?" He called as he poked his head in through the door. I kept still, but blinked my eyes.

"Come in, Sasuke!" I heard Shizune reply, her footsteps getting closer and closer to the door. Sasuke stepped back as she came out into the hallway, and I heard her gasp.

"Oh my god, what happened to Sakura?" She asked. Sasuke fought back a fit of laughter.

"She tripped and fell in class." He explained, while he walked through the door that Shizune held open for him. Shizune led him over to a hospital bed.

"Just lay her down there. Or make her sit up. She can heal herself." She instructed, as he slid his arms out from under me while he knelt down. I sat up, and held my right hand over my skull, green fire glowing over it, and healed my headache. I ran my hand down the length of my body, all of the aches and pains fading away. Sasuke sat down beside me as Shizune filled out a pass for the both of us. He sighed heavily as his body hit the chaise, and his head dropped. I put my right hand on his shoulder, and reached for the right side of his face with my left, turning his head toward me.

"Are you alright?" I asked gently, looking his face up and down, which grew redder and redder by each passing second.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just a little tired. You're a little heavier than I expected, that's all." He explained, his eyes darting over to my hand. I smiled, and rubbed his cheekbone gently.

"I never asked you to carry me all the way here, you know." I replied, swirling my fingers against his cheek.

"Yeah, I know." He replied, watching my fingers. Shizune looked up from her desk.

"Alright you two lovebirds, you can cut the PDA out, and get your butts back to class. I finished your passes." She ordered, as Sasuke and I stood up simultaneously. I grabbed my pass out of her hand, and Sasuke took his, as he turned toward the door.

"Thank you, Shizune. I'll see you sometime this Saturday." I waved goodbye as Sasuke grabbed my hand and started pulling me out the door. She nodded.

"I'll tell Lady Tsunade that you're coming." She replied, as the door cut her off. Sasuke pulled me down the hallway, letting go of my hand once we were a "safe" distance away from the nurse's office. Sasuke hated nurses. I don't know why. Once he let go of me, he shoved his hands into his pockets, and started walking slowly back to class. I picked up the pace, starting to walk alongside him.

"Oh, thank you for bringing me to the nurse. That was very kind of you." I bowed to him. He smiled, and playfully poked my forehead when I came back up.

"No problem." He replied as I wobbled. I straightened up, and sighed.

"I wonder what kind of torture Kakashi-sensei's putting the rest of the class through right now." I pondered as Sasuke opened the door to our English class, holding it open for me to walk through first. The first thing I saw was Ino sitting on the teacher's island, with Kakashi-sensei writing something on the board behind her as she read something to him, which he seemed to be copying onto the board. The rest of the class was reading in groups of two, one boy, and one girl. Sasuke stepped up beside me, scanning the room as I was, his eyes darting from side to side.

"It looks like everyone is enjoying it." He mused, turning to look at me. I nodded, turning to him with a confused look on my face.

"Wow, I didn't expect that." I replied, and turned back to the front of the room at Ino's screech. Kakashi-sensei had turned around, and bumped into her back by accident, which caused her to fall over onto the ground. I ran over to her, and willed my chakra into my right hand, green fire lighting around it. Sasuke stood in front of us, shielding my chakra fire from the view of the other students, as I held it over Ino's bruise. She sighed.

"Thank you, Sakura. How were Sasuke's arms?" She asked. I jerked my head back, my pink bangs falling against my face, my cheeks glowing a bright red under them as my green eyes widened.

"Huh? What?" I asked, my voice shocked. Ino face palmed.

"Never mind." She muttered. I cocked my head.

"They were great, why do you ask?" I probed, and she smiled.

"Were they gentle, or tense?" She asked, Sasuke glancing from Ino to me. I tipped my head to the right for a split second, and smiled.

"Gentle. I made physical contact with his face too. I was so excited." I gushed, as my chakra fire brightened.

"Did you stroke it, or rub it?" Ino asked. Sasuke gave us a confused look.

"Am I missing something here?" He asked me. I shrugged.

"I don't know, why don't you figure it out for yourself." I replied, lifting my hand away from Ino. She sighed, and stood up, Sasuke and I standing up with her.

"Well, it would be kind of nice to know what you two are talking about, since I'm going to have to be partners with one of you, apparently." He mused, rolling his eyes. I smirked.

"You don't like being out of the loop, do you?" I asked. He shook his head, his smug smile creeping onto his face.

"No, I don't." He replied. I smiled, and leaned my face close to his, my cheek brushing his as I pressed my lips to his temple.

"Thanks again, Sasuke." I mouthed against his skull, then pulling away, brushing my right hand across his left cheek, his left side bang trailing along my fingers. His eyes widened, and he leaned on my palm as it slid away from his face, and he smiled against my thumb, closing his eyes as my fingers left his cheekbone. I turned around, and walked back up to my seat with Ino, as Sasuke held his cheek with one hand, watching me leave with wide eyes. I sat down at my half of the desk top, pulling my notebook out of my bag before sitting down this time, and sliding into the bench, opening my notebook to start writing my letter, since that was the assignment on the board. I tapped my pencil against my chin, while Ino was hard at work on hers, and I could easily make out Sai's name about four times in one sentence a couple of times, and I turned to mine, starting to write. _Dear Sasuke…_

* * *

"I'm done!" I cried, holding my notebook up in the air about an hour later, everyone in the class turning to look at me, with shocked looks on their faces. Ino smiled.

"Is it for Sasuke?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yup. I had a few things to say to him, that's all." I replied, grabbing a pink envelope from my bag, and folding up the paper after signing my name. I wrote his in the receiver spot, and decorated the front with swirls and flowers where I wrote my name in the "Sent by" spot. Ino watched as I decorated my envelope with dancing, sweeping loops and swirls. Ino watched with wondering eyes, as I just drew, stuck in dreamland. Soon, my envelope, the front and back sides were decorated with flowery borders, a result of my boredom.

"Hey, Sakura." A voice pulled me out of my reverie, and I looked up, to see Sasuke staring down at me, his smile small, but smug. I widened my eyes, stock still. _He…He never comes up here…What's…_

"Y-Yes, Sasuke?" I stammered, still unable to move. His eyes glanced down at my envelope, which I failed to conceal. By the time I realized he was going for it, he was already gently pulling it out from under my hands. I pressed my palms against the desktop harder, and planted my feet, preparing for a fight.

"No way are you taking this from me! You'll have to wait, like everyone else." I snarled, narrowing my eyes, and pulling at it. The envelope ripped down the middle, my letter falling out into the air, heading toward the ground. I reached for it, pulling my knees under me as I started falling toward the letter, my fingers barely grazing the edge of it. Time slowed down, as I got closer and closer to holding the letter in my hand. Just as my hand closed all the way around it, Time sped up again, my chest slamming into something, and a hand catching the letter before it touched the ground. I knelt down, and looked over at my left, Sasuke holding the letter between his fingers, smiling.

"Nice try. Looks like…I don't have to wait." He replied. I nodded, and stood up, reaching for the broken envelope.

"I can tape this back up, or write another letter to someone else for a grade then…" I muttered, thinking of an idea of who to write it to.

"Hey, Ino? What do you think Naruto would say if I wrote him a letter?" I asked, turning to Ino. I felt Sasuke stiffen behind me.

"What was that?" He asked, his voice low. I smiled at Ino, and she blinked.

"I don't know, Sakura. You could write him a letter, and he'd probably either jump up and down or give you a kiss." She replied, winking at me at the last part. _She's just as evil as ever…_Sasuke clenched his hands.

"Naruto…And you…Kissing? No way in HELL is that happening." He muttered. I curled my lip up, and turned toward the stairs. _This is it...If Sasuke doesn't give me my letter back after this, I don't know what I'd do next…_I lifted my hand up, and waved to Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto! I was thinking, do you want me to close your letter with "Sincerely" or "Love"?" I asked sweetly, Naruto widening his eyes. I flashed my eyes to Sasuke quickly, and made the hand signs for Chidori, using them as a signal instead of a jutsu. Naruto blinked, then understood.

"You could sign it with "Love, Sakura". That would be great." He replied, his face turning mushy. I gave him a thumbs up. _Nice! Now, I just have to make the final move…_

"You aren't serious are you?" Sasuke asked quietly, still pissed. I smirked.

"Oh, I'm serious." I replied, taking off down the stairs toward Naruto, Ino getting up out of her chair to follow. My hand lingered on the desk as I took off, my fingers hovering in the air behind me. Ino made it down the stairs faster than I did, since I had to maneuver through feet, bags, textbooks, and discarded copies of Make-Out Tactics. I front flipped over one of the obstacles, weaving through more of them, jumping up against the wall. I landed on a stair about ten from the bottom, when my right foot stopped in its tracks, Sasuke grabbing my hand before I could move. My hair fell over my shoulders as my eyes widened, the strands blowing into my eyes, the mint green shining through the pink, my mouth parting slightly, as I slowly turned to look at him over my shoulder.

"Sakura…Don't." He murmured, his face close to my ear, my lips bumping into his temple by accident. He didn't even flinch or move from my face, he just stood there, as I blushed bright red, his hair tickling my cheeks and reaching for my forehead. He let go of my hand, and I held him close, the wind blowing in through the window, as I held his body against mine tightly, his black bangs brushing against my cheeks.

"Don't…" He murmured against my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me. I tensed up, my heart throbbing. _What is this…? He never shows this much emotion…Ever…Is he hurting…? _He shook his head into my shoulder, holding me tighter.

"Don't leave me…Sakura I'm sorry! I'm sorry for being rude and neglecting your feelings! I should've realized how you felt about me sooner than this…I know I'm probably too late…I just want you to know that, Sakura…" He mumbled, his voice getting louder slightly in my ear, my irises widening in shock.

"S-Sasuke…" I whispered, my voice all airy and breathy against the side of his head. He held me tighter still, screwing his eyes shut against the sides of mine.

"I-I have always cared for you, maybe not as a crush, but…I've always cared for and loved you, as a comrade. Every time you put your life in danger for me, I'd always never show you how much I appreciated it. Even when I did something unforgivable, your smile would always shine through the pores of your skin, so beautiful. I once thought you were my own personal hell who came to stop me from getting revenge. But, after we started spending more time together, and during all of the unfortunate events that our team had to go through, I found myself caring for you, and Naruto too. I know how much he means to you, and he means a lot to me too. I promised myself that I would stay alive until I killed my brother, thinking that was my reason for living. But I was wrong. The only way I'll avenge my family, my clan, all of my friends that my brother has hurt is to believe in the bonds I have with you, Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei. My reason for living is to protect my friends and loved ones. That's what the power called Chidori should be used for. And that's how I'm going to use it. Your letter made me realize how much I meant to you, how much you cared about me. It hit me really hard. I know I'm not exactly the best person to get along with, and I'm sorry for that, but I do care about you. As more than a comrade. Maybe even as more than a friend. But never mind that. Go to Naruto. I just wanted you to know that." He replied, his voice quiet, and he pulled away, stepping backwards and pressing my letter into my hand. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even blink. The bell rang, and he took off down the stairs, running out of the classroom before everyone else, picking up his backpack as he passed his desk. I still couldn't react, I could still feel his touch linger on my body, almost as if the shadow of his embrace was still holding me where I was, not intending to let me go.

"S…Sasuke…I…" I murmured, falling on my knees, my hands flat on the ground beside me. _He cares that much about me…Sasuke…He…Loves me…Cherishes me…As I do for him! _I stood up, and ran toward the door, dropping my letter on the ground, until Kakashi-sensei stood in front of me, holding it out to me, along with my bag.

"You're forgetting something." He pointed out as I took them from him, and nodded.

"Thank you, Sensei. For everything." I replied, then ran down the hall, pulling my red jacket on, buttoning the jacket up until it couldn't button anymore, about mid way up the front of my body, and held my bag over my shoulder, starting to run faster. I tore down the halls, my feet glowing with blue fire as they lifted clear from the ground after every time they touched the ground, my footsteps scarce. It was almost like I was flying. I ran through the front doors, and slid to a stop on the top of the stairs, wrenching my head up, my pink bangs falling on my face, the cold fall breeze caressing my cheeks as it passed, chilling my chest as it slammed into it. I clenched my right hand, and front flipped down the stairs, looking down the pathway from a higher view. I saw a distant figure, seeming to be staggering toward the village entrance, as I was at the top of my jump, my eyes widened.

"Sasuke!" I cried, tucking my legs under me as I landed on the ground thirty seconds later, then taking off. I heard leaves crumble under my feet as I breezed over them, not giving up. Adrenaline kicked in, as my muscles started to screech, giving them the last bit of strength that they needed to reach Sasuke's zombie-like figure. _The curse mark!_ At that thought, I picked up my legs faster, jumping over tree branches on the path, weaving through wayward rocks as I flashed through them. I felt a wave of pain hit me, coming from Sasuke's direction, and I screwed my eyes shut tight, refusing to fall and leave Sasuke to bear this horrible burden alone. The burden of his self appointed duty of being strong enough to protect me, get revenge, beat Naruto, all of it. All of his promises relied on strength. His strength. The curse mark wasn't his own strength. I felt tears come to my eyes, slipping over, and flying into the wind behind me, as I picked up the pace.

"Sasuke! Don't run from me! I…I…Love you! Please, let me help you! Sasuke!" I screamed, the tears coming down harder now, wetting my hair beside my face, falling onto my hands. He kept walking, not seeming to hear me.

"I was wrong to let you take all of those burdens on your shoulders! I should have held you and comforted you when you were hurting! Although I couldn't tell when you were. I could see something in your eyes, something terrible. I…Was blind, and foolish! Please! Don't shut me out, let me help you!" I cried after him, throwing myself at his back, wrapping my arms around him tightly, Sasuke stopping in his tracks, just like before. I was full on bawling now, my bag slid off my shoulder, crashing to the ground at my feet, Sasuke's sliding off of his right shoulder too. I could hear his heart beating, although distant, but loud, and strong. The sound soothed me, as I struggled to control my sobs. They shook me, my body trembled violently. He swung his head around, his eyes full of pain, his right hand gripping his left arm tightly, the curse mark throbbing in front of my eyes. My tears ran down my face, dripping onto his collarbone, as I cried harder.

"…Please…Sasuke…I…Want…To…Help…You…" I breathed brokenly, leaning on him heavily as the adrenaline faded, my knees giving out under me as exhaustion caught up with me. Sasuke turned around quickly, and held me up, tucking my head under his chin, and patting the back of my skull gently.

"It's alright, Sakura…" He soothed, holding me gently. I didn't struggle, or shift. I couldn't. My body was exhausted. If it hadn't of been for Sasuke, I would have been on the ground, dancing on the fine line between conscious and unconscious, even though that was happening to me right now.

"Sasuke…I'm sorry…" I replied, closing my eyes. He shook his head.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You have nothing to be sorry for." He answered. I sighed quietly.

"…O…kay…" I whispered, too tired to continue, starting to fall to my knees. Sasuke scooped me up, and looked down at me, his face pained and anguished. _He's beating himself up…_His black irises were evident of that. Self-loathing glowed like an intense flame in them, so bright, that I could see the light behind my closed eyelids. He picked up our school bags, I don't know how, and carried me toward town. He flinched every once in a while, the curse mark still causing pain to flicker through him like a pin prick in your foot when you step on a thorn, the initial stab of pain. I felt myself going down towards the ground, then stopping, as Sasuke sat down on something, holding me across him.

"This is the second time today I've had to carry you somewhere…Why is that?" Sasuke asked quietly, and I opened my cloudy eyes, feeling a drop of water fall on my cheek, then more, rain starting to pour down on us. We didn't care. We just sat there, looking at each other.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just that weak." I replied, laying my head in the crook of his elbow, the left side of my face getting drenched as rain poured down on it. Sasuke smiled weakly.

"You aren't weak. You just…" He started, brushing my wet bangs out of my face gently.

"I just seem to be weak all the time." I finished. He nodded once.

"Sakura, I want to thank you. For…comforting me. I was hurting when you hugged me back in the classroom, and about a minute ago. You think that you don't ever comfort me, or hold me. But every time you look at me with those beautiful eyes of yours, every time I hear your voice, every time you touch my face, every time you smile your angelic smile, you're comforting me. You think that you aren't strong. You think that you're weak. Just now when you kept me from walking, you were strong. Being strong doesn't always mean battle strength. It can be unspoken strength too. This is where your opinion and mine differ, Sakura." He murmured down to me, cupping the left side of my face with his palm, flicking the raindrops out of my eyes. Butterflies surged through my stomach, as his touch registered with every nerve ending in my body, so gentle, so tender, so loving. I leaned upward, putting my elbows under me for support, and moved my face close to his. My lips touched Sasuke's softly, no one to see us, or witness this moment, or take a picture of it. This moment, was ours and ours alone. _All my life…I've wanted to feel his lips against mine so badly…To feel the gentle shove of his mind against mine, to sense the warmth of his breath against my face as I hold him to me tightly…But it's all empty words…No fantasy could ever replace reality…Not by a long shot…_I cupped his face gently as I sat up, his bangs weaving into mine, his forehead pressed against mine, our lips moving in harmonization, his arms wrapped around me tightly, like steel girders. _Sasuke…Don't ever let me go…_And so we sat there, the rain falling down on us, knowing we'd get a cold, but, unable to pull away. I'd finally come clean. I'd finally told him how I felt about him. And don't forget I was kissing him, and holding him in my arms. I finally could walk up to him during school, and kiss him whenever I wanted. I didn't have to hide my feelings behind an iron curtain. I could let them run free, which was what I was doing now, pressing my lips against his deeply. He ran his hands down my arms, holding my elbows in his palms, as I sat up higher, wrapping my arms around his neck, and kissing him harder, hungrier. I don't know what came over me. But, he kissed me back, just as intensely.

"Aw, they're kissing each other finally." I heard Ino coo, and I pulled away from Sasuke, a few centimeters away from his uncontrollable, sweet lips, and turned to look at her over my shoulder slightly.

"Ino, really?" I asked, my eyes pleading. She nodded, everyone watching me. I flushed bright red, and Ino laughed once. Everyone else smiled, as Sasuke rested his hands on my lower back, holding my waist tightly in his palms.

"Looks like he's getting antsy, Sakura. You'd better calm him down before he rips down the whole village." Lee pointed out, Sasuke's eyes hungrier than mine. I scowled, and Hinata hit him upside the head.

"Don't be such a pervert, Lee. You're one to talk, since you were all over Tenten the other day. Let Sakura be free for a little while. She's been structured and rigid for so long, that looking at her now, I don't see the same person anymore." She vouched for me, yelling at Lee. I smiled, the left side of my lips curling up.

"You really want me to let go, Lee? I can do much worse than what you were doing with Tenten the other day. Granted, I won't be as messy." I responded smoothly, closing my eyes for a second. Lee's face flushed brighter red than mine had, and Tenten suddenly looked sick. Naruto laughed, and high fived Hinata.

"That was awesome Hinata, not to mention hilarious." He praised. Hinata nodded, smiling devilishly.

"What can I say, I've changed." She replied. Naruto nodded, widening his eyes. Sai opened his book, and flipped through the pages.

"My book says…" He started. Ino threw her arms around him.

"Do you still want to know what a kiss is?" She asked slyly. He thought for a second.

"Yeah, I still do. Why?" He asked, clueless. I cocked my head to the side slightly, waiting. Ino pressed her lips to his cheek, planting one on him. He stood there, his eyes darting from side to side, until she pulled away.

"That's a kiss, Sai." She replied. He nodded, and put his hand on his cheek, smiling slightly.

"They feel good. Do it again, Gorgeous." He answered, and she started planting kisses all over his face. I laughed, the rain still hard, and pouring. Lee looked up at the sky, and then into the mist that veiled the town from view.

"We're all going to catch colds at this rate…" He muttered, and I turned back to Sasuke, him smiling gently.

"Finally." He muttered, leaning his face toward me again, and his lips came down on mine again, butterflies flying up and down my body, over and over again, not stopping, or showing any signs of ever slowing down. I held his face in my hands slightly harder, his cheeks soft under my fingers, his bangs wet on the backs of my hands.

"Why is everyone kissing each other? Too bad I don't have a girlfriend…" I pulled away from Sasuke, and turned around in his arms just enough to see Kakashi-sensei crouching on a tree stump. I blushed, and Sasuke smiled.

"Hey, you asked you to watch, Kakashi?" He asked, his voice challenging, but still teasing. Kakashi-sensei jumped over to the bench Sasuke and I were sitting on, and landed right behind me, since I had turned around. I looked at Kakashi-sensei over my shoulder, my green eyes soft, my mouth parted slightly.

"You two should have been training today instead of making out. You know that right?" He replied, looking down at us. _Kakashi-sensei had better get out of here before I beat him to a pulp! Cha! _Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's all over and done with, in case you haven't noticed." Sasuke replied, his voice light. Kakashi-sensei smiled.

"Yeah, just don't go too overboard with Sakura. She's not exactly the type to play with, if you know what I mean." Kakashi-sensei replied, smiling smugly at me. I narrowed my eyes. _Cha! Leave now, old man! _I sighed.

"He won't." I replied, and Kakashi-sensei jumped away, everyone standing up. I picked up my bag from the ground, and slung it over my shoulder.

"Well, ramen? Girls are buying, guys." I asked. The boys smiled, and nodded. And with that, we all headed off to the ramen shop. The few days after that were eventful, Hinata finally admitting to Naruto how she felt, and they started dating. It had been a happy day for her. Ino asked Sai out, and they were currently making out at their lockers whenever they felt like it, which annoyed the rest of us. Lee and Tenten kept up their usual antics, much to the teachers' disappointment. I got a good grade for my letter assignment, as did everyone else in our small little circle. Training was awkward at first, but Naruto, Sasuke, and I put aside our emotions and focused on our training, sometimes going out on missions at night, then coming home late that night. As for Sasuke and I, we pretty much were almost the same as we were before that eventful rainy day. I kissed him when I wanted to, we went out on dates frequently. All of us went out for ramen every Thursday, as promised, and we laid out in the meadow at the Training Grounds every Sunday night, my idea for all of us spending time together as a group. We all stuck together, through every bad grade, broken nail, lost football, dull kunai. Everything. But, Sasuke started to let me in more. He let his wall come falling down, and let me comfort him, something he desperately needed, but was refusing to acknowledge. But I will never forget that cold, rainy day. Never will I forget the feeling of holding him in my arms, or pressing my lips against his, or even hearing his heart beat against my ear. Everyone in school knew we were together, it was obvious now. The way our eyes lingered on each other, the way our hands brushed against each other when we were on opposite sides of the hall. _Damn, I'm a sexy bitch. Cha! _


End file.
